1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to continuously providing multimedia contents among multiple user devices, and more particularly, relate to providing a user with continuous utilization of a contents service without exposing location information of a mobile device.
2. Description of Related Art
As smart phones have become more widely used and a wireless internet technology has evolved, a service for providing video contents or the like on various screens of mobile devices, set top boxes and personal computers (PCs) in the same format has been developed, and utilization of the service has been on the rise.
A multiscreen contents service provides various kinds of user devices with information, music, and video contents through wired or wireless Internet links.
A user may enjoy the same contents through various reproduction devices and may continuously enjoy the same contents using multiple reproduction devices.
Korean Patent No. 10-0640490 entitled “Multi-user support content mobility method and apparatus” (hereinafter “Patent Document 1,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) relates to a technology capable of supplying contents, from a fixed display device, continuously through a portable display device.
Although Patent Document 1 provides mobility between contents reproduction devices by interconnecting a fixed display device and a mobile display device, a redirection between reproduction devices is not made automatically.
Further, there has been disclosed, in Korean Patent No. 10-0664935 entitled “Apparatus and method for automatic redirection of multimedia contents play device” (hereinafter “Patent Document 2,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference), a technology capable of automatically transmitting contents that a multimedia user has used to a multimedia contents reproduction device selected based on the user's preference while the user changes his/her position.
Although Patent Document 2 discloses that multiple contents reproduction devices are registered and when a redirection between contents reproduction devices is needed, contents are played in a new contents reproduction device based on a user's preference, location information of a device is periodically transmitted from the device to a server, so that there may be a risk of exposing location information of the user to the outside.
Thus, there is a need for a technology capable of determining whether or not it is necessary to suggest a continuous reproduction of contents by analyzing a change in position and distance between a mobile device and a fixed device using a global positioning system (GPS), and enhancing protection of personal information so as to not expose location information of the mobile device transmitted to a server.